The present invention relates to an electronic money transaction system for performing transactions by electrically transmitting and receiving electronic money information stored in an IC card in place of money, and more particularly, to an electronic money transaction system for transmitting and receiving the electronic money information by electromagnetic waves through space.
Hitherto, in a transaction system using electronic money for electrically transmitting and receiving electronic money information, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-92966, an individual as a payer (user) carrying an IC card (electronic wallet) in which electronic money information is stored visits a shop and transmits and receives the electronic money information by using a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal or the like installed at the shop. That is, when an individual wants to receive any service, the individual has to always insert the IC card into the POS terminal or the like to transfer the electronic money information.
As disclosed in the foregoing JP-A-3-92966 for example, the electronic money information is once stored in a terminal installed at a shop, and later, transmitted to an apparatus in a bank center via a communication channel. Consequently, it is necessary to connect communication channels to all of terminals installed at shops.